Played both sides of unlikely good scenario from ASL SK2, where Italians occupy small town that was effectively about to to be overrun by both American paratroopers and British landing force. Ambitious Assault, S9. Not a good place to be Italians, but well, have to do what needs to be done.

A note. Scenario is extremely fast paced and has only six turns. It is really tough for the attacker. I took first the American/British forces to try my luck against what is really poor Italian defenders that did have few things in sleeve. First, they have support weapons, MMG, HMG and several LMG:s. My opponent deployed in depth and I begun my assault on his positions with the Americans. Advance was quickly stalled by singe separate heroic MMC (3-4-6) that managed to first break my elite paratroopers concealed in smoke (7-4-7) and then moments later kill one of them in melee. After that, he managed to break one squad again before retreating into safety. Noticing that I was not making ground as fast as I should, and opponent playing excellent delaying tactics, I was in desperate position when the British finally shoved up on the opposing side. However, their advance also stalled in small hill before the town due to unbelievably fierce Italian resistance. Some was due to poor assault planning, and some was due to lady luck, but most of my troubles were because of the very well laid defense in depth.

When it was my turn to be the Italians, I was still in the attack mode, and instead of planning my defense in depth, which I obviously should have done, I put way too many units up front. My heavier support weapons had a good coverage, but squads in advanced positions with limited firepower proved to be flypaper that sucked the American paratroopers in melee. Not all was lost however, even when I made the same mistake of forward positions with British, some units still remained intact in the game and because my opponent concentrated so much on the centre of the town, and immediate threats, he made a mistake and left one unit – apparently too far to be concerned about, with little attention. Eventually everyone else was overwhelmed, killed of broken, but the last squad that found good place hiding in the outskirts. Just at the last move, it sprinted out, got into the base of the hill, and then advanced to the position that was precicely 7 hexes from the market, and hence giving seconf win to the Italians.

What remains of the Italians, American-British forces are making short work of them…

Even with my lackluster defense, and poorly laid defensive perimeter that allowed, and factually encouraged bold head on attack Italians still could pull very narrow victory. I don’t say that scenario is impossible for the allies, far from it. What it is, is very tense and requires very aggressive assault plan and exectution.